Pin wheel and propellor toys



May 24, 1966 A. GOULD PIN WHEEL AND PROPELLOR TOYS Filed May 17, 1965 D/m Y U mw w W mm mm T E T B A L A. 2 4 m E El 0 2 14 4 15S 2 1 v 6 D2 2\k6 2 2 2 3 2 2 t 2 2 mm a F B United States Patent 3,252,241 PIN WHEELAND PROPELLOR TOYS Albert Gould, 14 Shady Brook Road, Great Neck, N.Y.Filed May 17, 1963, Ser. No. 281,133 4 Claims. (CI. 46-58) The presentinvention relates to toys which spin by action of the wind, namely,pinwheels and propellors, usually on sticks, but also shown herein onkites and bicycle handle bars as further adaptations made possible bythe novel and improved mounting means for the spinning member. Thisinvention is particularly concerned with such mounts.

Heretofore, a headed nail, as a shaft carrying the spinning member, wasdriven into a stick to extend laterally from near an end thereof. Ahole, somewhat smaller in size than the nail, was first drilled toreceive the pointed nail end, to avoid the splitting of the stick uponthe forced entrance of the nail therethrough. In the manufacture ofarticles of this kind, such drilling operation and the operation inassembly requiring holding of the laden nail while it was being driveninto the stick and the operation of driving the nail, constituted a verysubstantial part of the cost of production.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide anovel and improved mount for the spinning member of toys of thecharacter mentioned, which will eliminate the mentioned operations inthe manufacturing process and thus materially cheapen the cost toproduce these items by decreasing labor costs.

A further object thereof is to provide a novel and improvedmounting-means for the spinning members of such toys, which can beeasily associated by a force-fit structure on held-in-hand sticks,sticks of a kite frame, handle bars of a bicycle and other perches ofany material.

In toys of this class, elements arranged to make-a noise upon rotationof the spinning member, are often included. These elements are usuallyin pairs, one secured to the Spinning member and the other secured onthe stick, and so associated that rubbing action will produce a screech.

The stick being usually of a relatively hard wood, there was diflicultyin making the required attachment of the element mentioned onto thestick by a cheap operation. Mere burrs from such element, forced intothe stick, would soon loosen.

It is therefore another object of this invention to secure saidnoise-structure element onto the mount herein provided for the spinningmember, and having it easily and effectively done to hold securely.

As a further object, the novel and improved mounts herein providedrequiring no nail, they are made so that the stick need not be ofmaterial into which nails are usually driven, that is, now, the stickfor instance, may be made of helically-wound, tightly-applied,adhesively-held paper ribbons made into a stick of laminated structure.So made, and afforded some flexibility, they are safer in the hands ofchildren than the wooden stick, because of the ability to bend if suchpaper stick is fallen on at an end face thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide novel and improvedconstructions in mounts for the spinning members of toys of the classdescribed, having the mentioned attributes, and which are simple inconstruction, cheap to manufacture, easy to use, etlicient in carryingout the purposes for which they are designed, safe from sharp edges orpoints and which by their use, materially decrease the cost ofmanufacture of such toys.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosureproceeds.

For the practice of this invention, I provide a unitary structure ofthermoplastic material, comprising a tubular 3,252,241 Patented May 24,1966 lengthwise to be force-fitted or by force snapped on a stick,

a stick of a kite frame, the handle bar of a bicycle or 'otherperch. Thesaid shank serves as the shaft for the spinning member. Upon settingsuch spinningmember onto said shank whose free end protrudes, a hot toolis merely set against such free end to form a head or swelling whichmaintains the assembly.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a pin wheel on a mount construction embodyingteachings of this invention. This view is shown partly in section, andthe pin wheel is indicated diagrammatically by an outline consisting ofa dash-and-dotline.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mounting element included in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form of mountingelement, shown mounted on a stick which is part of the frame'of a kite.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a propellor toy using the mount of FIG. ,3 andhaving noise-producing means associated therewith. This view is partlyin section and the propellor is indicated diagrammatically by an outlineconsisting of a dash-and-dot line.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another modified form of mount element,which is adapted to be snapped onto the handle bar of a bicycle or otherperch.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a kite, carrying propellors on mounts as shownin FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 shows a blankifrom which the pinwheel is made.

FIG. 8 shows ablank from which thepropellor is made.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are drawn to a reduced scale and FIG. 6 is drawn to .amore reduced scale. 7

"In the drawing, the numeral 15 designates generally a mount made of athermoplastic material as a oneepiece structure comprising a tubularelement 16 from which there laterally extends a relatively thinelongated pin or shank 17. This tubular element is of a size that itneed be force-fitted to be mounted on a stick 18. When the stick isround stock, the hole 19 is preferably round. The 'numeral 20 indicatesgenerally a pin wheel which may be of Celluloid, paper or the like, tobe revolvably carried on the pin shank 17. To make this pin wheel member20, the blank therefor may be as shown at 21. This blank is a squaresheet having the slits 22, each of which starts from a very vertex andextends towards, but short of, center where there is the hole 23. Thusfour flaps are formed. Each such flap is provided with a hole near thesquares perimeter as indicated respectively at 2 427' in the tails 24-27respectively. As is well known, all these tails are moved a half turn sothat their ends overlap and all five holes are in registry. So held, thepin shank 17 is passed from the back of the sheet 21, through all theholes, and its free end has a hot object applied thereto to form aswelling which is the head 28, to maintain the assembly. A boss 29 as anintegral part of the mount 15, may be provided to minimize the bearingsurface of the pinwheel 20.

It is evident that it is preferred to have the tubular member 16rectangular when the mount 15' is to be force-fitted on a stick 18'which is of similar section as when part of the frame of a kite 30. Inthis mount 15', the pin shank is designated by the numeral 17'. In FIG.4, this mount is shown associated with a noiseproducing means indicatedgenerally by the numeral 31, and the pin revolvably supports a propellordenoted generally by the numeral 32. The kites corners are not coveredby the body sheeting 33, thereby exposing the ends of the frame sticks35, 18' and their connecting cord 37 at such regions. The mount '15carrying the propellor 32 ..and its associated.noise-producing means 31,all as a unit, may be mounted on the stick 18 as shown in FIG. 4, andmay be duplicated at 38 and 39 if desired. Of course, the noise means 31may be omitted.

The propellor 32 may be made of a blank as shown in FIG. 8, with a hole40 at the centerand with the holes 41', and '42 in its respective ears41 and 42; said three holes being in alignment. Said ears are brought tooverlay each other so that all three holes 40, 41', 42 shall be inregister, and thus set onto the pin shank 17 whereafter upon theapplication of a heated tool or object at the free end of said pinshank, a head 43 is formed to maintain the assembly.

If it is desired to include the noise-producing means 31, then beforethe blank 44 is folded to form the propellor, it has secured thereto thewasher 45 which has a prong 46 extending therefrom for rubbing contactwith the interior wall of a dished element 48, both made of metal; saiddished piece being secured to the tubular member 16'. All this is tobring us particularly to the manner in which said pieces 45 and 48 areattached, which will now be explained.

The washer 45, around its hole, has burrs 50 extending from that facewhich is opposite the face the prong 46 extends from. These burrs 50 areset as a nipple into the hole 40 of the blank 44, and bent over awayfrom said hole, to grip the said blank and thus secure the washerthereto. The dished element 48 is likewise provided with the prongs orburrs 51 which are slightly curved to form a flare. Forcing these burrs'51 into the plactic, they follow an arcuate path therein respectively,because the plastic of the unit 15' yields to allow their penetrationinto the wall of the tubular piece 16' and flows around such burrs tomake a secure joint.

Linear polyethelene is recommended as the best suitable plastic formaking the units 15, 15', 15" and each of these is preferably anintegral piece cast by injection molding apparatus. This material olfersstifiness plus flexibility. 7

Where the toy is to be mounted on, for instance, the handle bar of abicycle, the tubular element is split as at 16 so it can be snappedon,to forcibly clamp such bar. This split tubular element may be made withflared lips 51 and of course has the extending pin shank 17" and it mayhave the small boss 29".

It is well known in the art to have eyelets (not shown) mounted in theholes through which the pin shank sets.

The term tubular element in the appended claims shall be deemed toinclude those which are whole or split.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applicationswithout departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It istherefore intended and desired that the embodiments shown herein shallbe deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the patentshall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being hadto the following claims rather then to the specific description hereinto indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a toy of the character described, a tubular element adapted to beforce-fitted on a perch, a pin shank extending laterally from the outersurface of said tubular element, a spinning member revolvably mounted onthe pin shank, a pair of washers loose about said pin shank, positionedbetween said spinning member and the tubular element; one of saidwashers being secured to said spinning member; the second washer beingsecured to said tubular element; one of said washers having a prongextending laterally there from and in frictional contact with the otherwasher.

2. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein both said tubular element andthe pin shank are integral and of thermoplastic material.

3. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein the second washer has curvedprongs; said prongs being forced into the wall of said tubular elementwhereby said second washer is secured to said tubular element.

4. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein at least said pin shank is ofthermoplastic material so that upon mounting the spinning memberthereon, the free end of said pin shank when heated andpressed towardssaid tubular element, will swell and be formed with a headlike formationat such end to maintain the assembly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 943,528 12/ 1909Exline 46-53 2,452,865 11/1948 Nietsche 46-58 2,532,835 12/1950 Cohn46-58 2,646,644 7/1953 Richmond 46-58 2,788,612 4/1957 Samets 46-191DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A TOY OF THE CHARACTER OF DESCRIBED, A TUBULAR ELEMENT ADAPTED TOBE FORCED-FITTED ON A PERCH, A PINK SHANK EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THELOUTER SURFACE OF SAID TUBULAR ELEMENT, A SPINNING MEMBER REVOLVABLYMOUNTED ON THE PIN SHANK, A PAIR OF WASHERS LOOSE ABOUT SAID PIN SHANK,POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID SPINNING MEMBER AND THE TUBULAR ELEMENT; ONE OFSAID WASHERS BEING SECURED TO SAID SPINNING MEMBER, THE SECOND WASHERBEING SECURED TO SAID TUBULAR ELEMENT; ONE OF SAID WASH-